Going under and around strawberry guava trees. Photo by Justin Hirako.

Trail

Heading down into Punalu’u Valley. Photo by Justin Hirako.

Trail

Some overgrown sections were so thick that we had to crawl on our hands and knees.

Trail

Justin used sheer momentum and mass to break through.

Trail

Passing underneath a tangled thicket of tree branches. Luckily we didn’t have to go through them.

Trail

Between a hard rock wall and a drop off. Walk carefully.

Detour

Looked like a section of the original trail got closed down. Possibly due to a landslide?

Detour

Gen going down the detour trail.

Trail

The detour trail soon dropped us back to the switchbacks.

Road

We followed the sign that pointed to a road further down. Talk about taking a spur ridge down instead, dissipated with the fact that darkness would soon cover us and we didn’t know the lay of the land.

Trail

Gen wading through head high uluhell.

Trail

Flower girl.

Trail

Glenn making his way under and over thickets of tree branches. That road can’t come soon enough.

All pau

We made our way down off the ridge, passed through the valley populated with farms and palatial houses until we popped out on the road. Photo by Justin Hirako.

GPS Tracks

Our hiking mileage varied, depending on whose tracking app you asked, 9.85 or 11.01 miles. Either way, it was quite an epic day hiking in the mountains with a fun crew. We even had a “valet” that was watching our truck. Glenn gave him some cash and a job referral for his “troubles.” Post hike meal at Zippy’s.